In the parable of the wedding feast, the initial invitation was only to special guests. After most of them refused and murdered the messengers, Jesus said they weren’t worthy of the honor and tells of a later completely indiscriminate invitation. Everyone that the king’s servants saw was invited to the wedding. Matthew 22:9 is a difficult passage for those who think that the Church ought to be an exclusive place. The parable shows that both good and bad were invited to the wedding feast. Now that does not mean that the bad should remain so, but they certainly did receive an equal invitation to the good.
Israel had lost its privileged position in the things of God. There is now an open invitation. Anyone can come. Tax collectors and harlots are invited. Jews and Gentiles are invited. What is the one common denominator? They are all willing to come. Are you willing? You too are invited. That’s what Jesus said.
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